Lugius t



(No Model.)

L. T. SHBFPIELD.

ARTIFICIAL TOOTH. l

No. 352,785. PatentedNov. 16, 1886.

NITED, STATES.'

PATENT Orifice,

Lucius T. sHEFFIELD, or New YORK, N. Y.

ARTIFICIAL TOOTH.

, SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 352,785, dated. November 16, 1886.

nppucation mea April 24, 1885.

end of the root, so as to fill all the interstices and prevent the access 'of iiuids of the mouth to the end ofthe root, and also aidin securing the artificial denture to its support.

The cement heretofore used has 'generally I been a crystallizing cement, composed of an- 2o for several reasons.

hydrous oxide of zinc in the form of apowder and a solution of glacial phosphoric acid. The use of this material has proved objectionable First, the cement, which is forced out from the cap in applying the-same to the root, is brought in contact with the gum and periosteum, and frequently causes intense d pain to the patient; second, in the mouths of some patients the aforesaid cement dissolves Very readily and the crown becomes loose; third, the said. cement will set very quickly, and will sometimes set before the denture can be properly put in place, especially when the denture is large, causing pain to the patient and interfering greatly with the adjustment of the denture. ln those .cases where several crowns are connected by bridges, and one or more of them becomes loosened from any of the causes above set forth, the play of the denture causes great pain. To obviate these objections I make use of an insoluble cement of any suitable material, (as, for instance, gutta-percha dissolved in chloroform,) which cement should be of such a character as to exclude the air and moisture and not be affected byany of the iiuids of the mouth and to harden gradually. In using this cement it isplaeed in the caps or hollow crown-covers, as usual, andthe dent-A ure is then adjusted to lits position, the cement being thereby pressed into all the cavities and any surplus being forced over the edges of the caps, from which it can be readily removed while it is in a soft state. As the solvent evaporates the gum will gradually hardem and the denture will become firmly seated in Serial No. 163,326. (Nomodel.)

its place, air and fluids will be excluded, and

acter, as it can beapplied to the gums even when in a highly iniiamed condition wi-thout causing the slightest pain.

While the gutta-percha cement alone will serve as a means of securing the denture when the latter has more than one bearing, it does not. in all cases afford when first used sufficient support to hold a single denture'in its place. In such case I apply a portion of the beforedescribed crystallizing cement to the prepared root-canal by means of a suitable instrument and then insert a portion of the gutta-percha cement in the cap and adjust the denture to its place, so that when the usual pin or pivot enters the canal in the root the crystallizing cement will fill the said cavity and inclose the pin and hold the same with the tooth-crown firmly in its place,'while the gutta-percha cement will effectually prevent-the entrance of moisture and preserve the crystallized cement from the action of the fluids of the mouth, so that the attachment will remain iirm under all circumstances. Inasmuch as the gutta-percha hardens but slowly, its use does not interfere with the perfect adjustment of the denture to its place.

The drawings illustrate in Figure 1, in part section, the application of a single artificial denture to the mouth in accordance with my invention, and in Fig. 2 a like application of a partial set of teeth.

In Eig. 1, A is the prepared root. B is the gum. C is the artiticial tooth-crown sej cured to a metallic backing, a. D is the metallic cup secured to the backing a. e is a pin extending from the said backing. The crystallizing cement is represented in section at c, and the rubber cement by the solid line at z'. C represents a metallic covering-crown, and b represents in Fig. 2 a bridge connecting the two crowns G C.

By the above described improvement the following advantages are gained: First,y when the crystallizing cement is used, it cannot pain the patient by being forced out -of the cap upon the gums5` secondly, the uids of the mouth have no eii'ect upon the fastening; thirdly, the cement hardens so slowly as to IOO afford ample time for the adj ustmnt o'f the denture, but nally becomes sufficiently hard to support the denture firmly in the mouth.

While I have referred to the use of a guttapercha cement, I do not limit myself to one made of this material, as any cement which` will harden slowly and is water-proof and will prevent the access of moisture to theroot and which will not be acted upon by the Iiuids of the mouth may be employed-for instance, a rubber cement. l p,

Without limiting myself to the use of a water-proof cement of any special material, I claim as my invention- 1. The combination, with a prepared root or roots and with an artificial denture adapted and applied to said root or roots, of an interposed water-proof cement, substantially as set -forth. l

`2. The combination of the prepared root or roots, artificial denture adapted thereto, 'a crystallizing cement 'applied directly to the terposed gutta-percha cement, substantially Y as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specificationin the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LUOIUS T. SHEFFIELD.

Witnesses:

J os. M. JAFFRAY, WILLIAM H. HoDGiNs. 

